Six ERCOT members resign after catastrophic Texas blackouts
USA, Texas, Austin: Six board members of Texas' power grid operator ERCOT have resigned.
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USA, Texas, Austin: Six board members of Texas’ power grid operator ERCOT have resigned.
The board chairwoman and vice chairman of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, along with two other board members, issued a joint statement on 23 February announcing their intention to resign after a board meeting 24 February, after last week’s blackouts left millions of people without electricity in brutal winter weather.
The letter was signed by Chairwoman Sally Talberg, Vice Chairman Peter Cramton, Finance and Audit Committee Chairman Terry Bulger and Human Resources and Governance Committee Chairman Raymond Hepper.
The four members said in the letter that they have heard the concerns about “out-of-state” board leadership and want to acknowledge Texans’ “pain and suffering” during the past week.
“With the right follow through, Texas can lead the nation in investing in infrastructure and emergency preparedness to withstand the effects of severe weather events — whether in the form of flooding, drought, extreme temperatures, or hurricanes,” the letter said. “We want what is best for ERCOT and Texas.”
In a footnote in its letter to the Public Utility Commission of Texas, ERCOT noted that board member Vanessa Anesetti-Parra also submitted a letter of resignation on 23 February.
At the start of Wednesday’s virtual board meeting finalizing the resignations, Talberg announced that board member Randall Miller, who represented independent power providers, had resigned on the same day.
ERCOT did not respond to a request for comment.
Source: NBC News